Maxwell Pyle by Lilianna Schantz

My Musical Childhood (1)

1419612 — 2025-01-06 17:20:12 UTC

I always loved to play, listen to, and be around music. Growing up, my dad was in bands and I would oftentimes "tag along" to see him in shows or watch rehearsals. I loved being around that atmosphere. I started playing guitar in kindergarten and took lessons until fourth grade. That's when they began offering orchestra at school and I switched to upright bass. I played that until seventh grade and quit lessons when I met other students looking for an electric bass player in a band, which led me to purchase my red bass. We started gigging around in the area; at coffee houses or any local clubs we could get into. I was completely teaching myself at this point. I knew this was what I wanted to pursue. I just didn't want to do anything else.

The Big Goal (2)

1419612 — 2025-01-06 17:22:22 UTC

I started electric bass lessons after I graduated high school. I took a year and a half off of school before applying to and attending university. Berklee College of Music was always my number one choice and goal. However, I was intimidated I didn't have what it took to get in, which is why I took time off to work for it. I worked with a teacher in New Jersey every week; fortunately, he happened to be a Berklee graduate and former professor. I had a job, I was gigging all over, but most of all I took many lessons and prepared myself for the audition process.

The Audition Process (3)

1419612 — 2025-01-07 16:54:58 UTC

I only applied to Berklee. I toured UArts and enjoyed it, but I never applied there. I got my initial academic acceptance for Berklee and then had to mail in cassette tapes. The audition requirements were: two classical pieces and two jazz pieces. They also asked for an optional "wildcard" selection so I sent in a CD of a band I was in. There wasn't any live audition component. Obviously, I did go up to the campus to tour and spend the day there.

Biggest Challenge (5)

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The biggest challenge I faced while attending college was sticking it out to financially make it. I was at Berklee not only to get an education but also to network. A lot of my playing was done outside of school at night so I wasn't able to have a job. I was too busy doing free gigs, trying to make it. When I came home for breaks, I worked all I could; just to survive. Eventually, it got to be too much. I couldn't afford to keep that lifestyle up. I ended up subletting my apartment and moving home. I couldn't afford to keep pursuing music at college and as a career.

Temporary turned Permanent (6)

1419612 — 2025-01-07 17:18:10 UTC

Moving home was supposed to be temporary. I told myself I was going to come home, regroup, make money, and head back out to Boston. I just got too comfortable. I had a good-paying job and valued that. I was still able to play with bands locally 3-4 times a week. It just got to be one of those things where I had a stable job during the day and was able to be active in my passion at night. I wrote music articles for magazines, did product reviews, recorded my work online to stay connected with other musicians, and stayed in the music world while being at home. I never went back. I never finished my college education.

Connections (4)

1419612 — 2025-01-07 17:25:27 UTC

At Berklee, I was able to play with extremely talented people from all over the world. Being able to have these connections is probably the most important, pivotal thing I've taken away from my time there. On a regular basis, I played with a lot of people who are big names now: Hiromi, one of the top Japanese piano players in the world, and Annie Clark, who is now Saint Vincent and writes with Taylor Swift (i.e. Cruel Summer). Annie and I gigged together a lot. I still keep in contact with everyone. Demian, Miley Cyrus' and the Jonas Brothers' percussionist, started the same year as me. We played in different bands but always found time to play together. He was my go-to drummer and I was his go-to bassist. I just talked to him two weeks ago. I still try to go see him whenever he tours through here.

The Good (7)

1419612 — 2025-01-09 00:02:34 UTC

I will say, what I learned from my experiences is that it's okay to be uncomfortable and take risks. It's too easy to be safe, give up, and come home immediately like I did. Demian left at the same time I did and moved to California. He asked me to come with him but I was too comfortable at home to take that jump. It would've been okay if I did, I just didn't. I don't regret that decision, though. My life wouldn't be what it is today and I wouldn't change where I'm at. If I had gone to California, I wouldn't have met my wife and her daughters. I wouldn't have had my son. I wouldn't change anything I did, but I've come to terms with the fact I would've been okay taking risks too. My life would just be different.

Advice to those Pursuing Music (8)

1419612 — 2025-01-09 00:08:52 UTC

Continue. Make connections. Don't be too hard on yourself and go for it if you want it. I won't lie, it does get tough but you need to just keep at it. One of the biggest pieces of advice I can give is to be easy to work with; be kind, considerate, and cheerful. Sometimes you may not be the most talented in the room, but you're the easiest to get along with and work with. Making music together isn't just about all of you being the best, but there are prolonged hours and days you'll need to spend together. If you're fun and yourself, you'll be more memorable than the ones who aren't. You also never know what opportunities the same people will present you in the future. Treat everyone in the industry with respect since it is all connected.

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My Process for Composing

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An Original Piece

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Improv Session with Pedal Layering

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